Variable spray rate aerosol valve



Sept. 14, 1965 E. H. GREEN 3,206,082

VARIABLE SPRAY RATE AEROSOL VALVE Filed Jan. 13, 1264 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ym l 614.(

Sept. 14, 1965 E. H. GREEN 3,206,082

VARIABLE SPRAY RATE AEROSOL VALVE l Filed Jan. 13, 19644 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fa f2.9!

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United States Patent O m 3,206,082 VARIABLE SPRAY RATE AERSOL VALVE Edward H. Green, 11 Army Trail Road, Addison, Ill. Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,425 9 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates generally to the aerosol valve art and more particularly is concerned with a valve structure for use with pressurized packages for the dispensing of pressurized products in which the user has a selective choice of several different spray rates from the same package.

The basic structure of one of the most widely used removable spray head valve arrangements for pressurized packages is one in which the spray head has a depending stern which is provided with a slot in its side. The slot cooperates with a spring pressed valve plunger and a rubber gasket of annular construction to permit passage of the pressurized product from the interior of the package past the valve plunger and into the hollow expansion chamber in the bore of the stem by way of the top end of the slot. The construction of this invention also uses this basic structure, but differs therefrom in the provision of means whereby a user may achieve any one of a plurality of diiierent spray rates by rotating the spray head to any one of a plurality of different positions. The provision of such means comprises the principal object of this invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel structure of the general character described above in which the stem of the spray head has a clear through slot which may be rotated to any one or two or more different positions to cooperate with grooves formed on the inside of the valve plunger whereby to produce a different spray rate from any one of such positions.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a valve structure of the character described in which, for each position of the spray head there is a different maximum spray rate capable of being achieved, but in which the user may rotate the spray head slightly from any one position and vary the spray rate at that position. To be perfectly clear in this object, assuming that there are three principal positions or stages, as they will be called hereinafter; while the spray head is located at any one stage it may be slightly rotated without leaving that stage and a change in spray rate obtained thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve structure of the character generally described above in which there is a distinct position of the spray head between stages in which no aerosol product can be dispensed because there is no communication between the stern and the inside of the pressurized package. In such case, even pressing the stem and spray head down will result in no dispensing. By this means the user can more readily identify the stages and there is no overlap between stages so that an exact spray rate may readily be assigned to each stage.

Many other objects and advantages will occur to those skilled in this art as a description of the invention proceeds hereinafter in connection with the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of the top end of a canister having a valve structure associated therewith, the construction of which may be in accordance with the invention, and the illustration being included herewith to give the general environment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a median sectional view of the valve structure according to the invention shown installed upon a canister like that of FIG. l, portions being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the bottom end of the stem of the spray head of the invention.

3,206,082 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 ICC FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bottom end of the stem and the valve plunger to show their relationship, this view being taken generally along the line 4 4 of FIG. 5 and in the indicated direction.

FIG. 5 is a top plan View of the plunger of the-valve structure.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View through the plunger taken generally along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and in the indicated direction.

FIG. 7 is a developed view from the inside of the plunger showing the grooves in the wall of the plunger socket.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 2 and in the indicated direction.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 9-9 of FIG. 2 and in the indicated direction. v

As previously stated the invention is based upon a valve construction in which the pressurized product is dispensed through the control of a slot in the hollow depending stem of a spray head, this stem cooperating with a valve plunger and a resilient annular gasket to enable the user to dispense at will by depressing the spray head. The details of this structure and an understanding of how it operates are essential to an understanding and appreciation of this invention.

The canister or bottle which will comprise the package for the product is provided with a cover member that has acentral upstanding metal boss. This cover member is that element upon which the valve manufacturer mounts his apparatus and in this condition it is sold to the iller to install upon a bottle or canister. The cover member has a central hole, and a valve housing is secured to the `bottom of the boss on the interior of the cover member,

the securement also clamping a rubber gasket to the bottom surface of the top wall of the boss. This gasket is of annular configuration and its center hole aligns with the hole in the boss. Inside of the valve housing there is a vertically reciprocable valve plunger, the top end of which has a valve seat that engages against the bottom surface of the gasket and surrounds the hole in the gasket. The plunger is biased to this position by a spring which engages its bottom end and is seated in the bottom of the valve housing. There is a plastic dip tube that connects with the exterior bottom end of the valve housing and leads downward to the bottom end of the canister or bottle.

The valve plunger has an axial socket which is closed at its lower end but opens at the top end to the Valve seat, in some constructions directly at the valve seat, and in others slightly below the valve seat whereby to provide a pocket or gallery surrounding the top end of the socket. The invention herein is of the latter type. This socket is coaxial with the openings in the gasket and cover member, and a spray head is provided with a depending hollow stem that is readily removable from the socket in the valve plunger, but which is sealingly and slidingly passed through the hole in the boss and the hole in the plunger and into the socket. There is a slot in the side of the stern that opens to the bottom thereof and extends upward to a point slightly above the top end of the socket when the stern is fully bottomed in the socket. When the spring plunger is seated there is no communication between the valve housing and the slot, but when the spray head is pushed down the stem in turn pushes down on the valve plunger against the spring, unseating the valve seat from the bottom surface of the gasket, and giving access for the pressurized product in the housing to the exposed portion of the slot, the said product passing over the valve seat during this condition. Release `of the finger from the spray head enables the spring once more to re-seat the valve seat against the rubber gasket, cutting 01T flow of the pressurized product. That vto provide resilience in the gasket 36 at this point.

shown) product which passes into the hollow stem of the spray head expands therein and is atomized through the external orifice provided at the top of the spray head.

The principal differences between the structure described and that of the invention may be summarized as follows:

(a) The slot of the stem in the invention :herein does not extend above the top end of the socket of the valve vplunger when the stem is fully bottomed in :the socket.

(b) There are several grooves in the wall of the valve plunger, Lon lthe interior thereof, which commence at the lgallery and Vextend downward therefrom, and the dispensing of pressurized product is made possible when .one of the grooves is aligned with the slot of the stem.

(c) Theachievement of the variable sprayconternplates the rotation of the spray head and stern relative to the `valve plunger, and therefore it is preferable that the valve plunger be xed rotatively relative to the valve 'housing without interfering with its ability to move up and down inside of the housing.

(d) There is a provision for limiting the rotation 0f vthe stern relative to the plunger, and therefore the botn tom end vof the stem is cut away'at-one side thereofto provide a depending skirt segment which cooperates'with stop means provided inthe-bottom of the socket.

Of these differences, (a) and'(b) together are characteristic vonly of this invention While (c) and (d) are included in the subject matter =of other inventions of the package as described thus far is what the filler normally purchases from sources other thanthe valve manufacturer, Whose facilities are normally not of the kind suitable for the manufactureof such canister.

The valve manufacturer provides the remainder of the structure described, including a cover member 18 having a rolled edge 20 adapted to beengaged over and crimped upon the rolled edge 16 rby the ller when he assembles and lls the package 10. Gasketing material 22 assures a sealed connection. The cover member has an annular well 24 giving rise to a center island or boss 26 provided at its top end with a central opening28. A cylindrical valve housing is engaged in the bottom of the boss i 26 and has a ared portionk 32 crimped in place by the crimps or pinches 34 tightly clamping an annular rubber A gasket36 againstthe bottom surface of the top wallof the boss 26. 'In this embodiment thehousing 30 is molded of `plastic material. gasket 36, aligned with the vopening v28, and as will be A central opening 38 is provided in the seen, `the metal around the opening 28 is slightly relieved The spray head '40 which includesan integral hollow stem V42 is mounted on the valve structure by having the stem 'n 42 enter the opening 28 'and pass through the opening 38 -in relatively tight `sealing engagement, but the stem must at the same time be rotatable ,and removable,'hence there should be sufficient resilience in the rubber to vprevent seizure.

Theinterior of the valve housing 30 is hollow, thereby and is secured into the neck 48 of the housing 30 by means of a split sleeve 50 (the split of which is not On its interiorthe housing 3.0 'has a pair of vertical opposed ribs 52 preferably molded integral with lthe housing.

'has a diametrical passageway 58 therethrough that divides the flange and the bottom reduced diameter end 60 in two. The split flange 56 engages upon the ribs 52 and therefore prevents rotation of the valve plunger 54 relative to the housing 30. The vertical movement of plunger 54 is not interfered with. The upper end of the valve housing 30 has a flat valve seat 62 formed thereon which normally is urged into engagement with the bottom face of the gasket 36 by the helical spring 64 seated in the housing `30 at the neck 48 and engaged upon the reduced diameter end 60.

Considering for the moment the-construction as seen in FIG. 2, the vpressurized product rises in the dip tube 46, enters the chamber 44. It readily passes the flange 56 because of the passageway 58. The `body 66 of the plunger 54 above the flange 56 is of substantially lesser diameter than the flange. If it were not for the valving action of the seat 62 engaging against the gasket 36 around the hole 38, the pressurized product would immediately escape from the package 10. It is, however, retained by the plunger 54, Aand this is true irrespective of Whether the spray head 40 and stem 42 are in place.

The plunger 54 Ahas a central socket 68 in its body 66 which is coaxial therewith, is closed at its bottom vend and opens toward the seat v62. A central integral pilot projection '70 is provided in the center, and there is a connecting `segment 72 that shortens the track 74 which is formed in the bottommost end of the socket 68 while providing a second track 76 spaced axially above the `first track 74. The segment 72 is chosen to be 90 in the embodiment illustrated so that the second track formed on top of the segment is also 90 while the lower track is 270. The stem 42 has an arcuate bottom skirt 78 which is a segment of a cylinder, being approximately 180 in extent and an arcuate formation 80 which results from such a configuration axially spaced upward from the end of the skirt 78. The arrangement is yone which might result if one cut half way through a cylindrical stem near the end and removed the cut portion by corresponding axial cuts. The arcuate formation 80 is called a short skirt for lack of a better designation. It has a central slot S2 which is relatively wide compared to most 'slots used in other valve constructions of this general type. When the stem 42 is fully bottomed in the socket 68 as shown in FIG. 4, the lower skirt 7S engages upon the track 74 while the short skirt 80 engages upon the track 76. The stem is capable of rotary movement of from one end of track 74 to the other, during `which a portion of short skirt 80 will be riding ontrack 76. The chamfer 84 enables the stem end to'pass lthrough the gasket hole 38 without tearingthe rubber. Also it assures that the principal bottoming of the stem will depend on skirt 78. The skirt edges 77 and 79 cooperate with the faces 81 and 83 respectively to limit the rotary movement. v

The socket 68 opens at the enlarged extension thereof which forms the gallery 86 below ythe seat 62. The floor 88 of the gallery denes the top of the socket 68. There are three grooves in the socket wall commencing atrthe gallery floor 88 and extending axially downward, each groove having a different cross-section area and circumferentially spaced around the periphery of the socket, but generally 45 apart. These grooves are designated 90, 92 and 94 and are of the same'length. They are arranged in the socket 68 to face the slot 82 during movement of the stem 42. In FIG. 7 there is illustrated a diagrammatic view representing somewhat better than 90 of the interior of the valve plunger developed in the flat to show`how the slot 82 cooperates with the grooves.

Assuming that the stem 42 is fully bottomed in the socket 68, the length of slot 82 is such that its upper end 96 is just below the floor 88 so that the only way that communication may be established between the hollow bore '98 of stem 42 and the gallery 86 is to align the slot 82 with one of the grooves 90, 92 or 94. Since the grooves are in every case smaller in cross section,

considered in an axial plane, than the slot, the grooves will meter or control the spray rate.

With the stem 42 in the socket 68 and rotated fully counter-clockwise, the center of the slot 82 and the center of the groove 90 will be aligned as in the rst stage shown at 82a in FIG. 7, the slot being represented by broken lines. Under these circumstances, pressing down on the spray head 40 will lower the plunger 54 and disengage the valve seat 62 from the gasket 36. The pressurized product will enter the gallery $6 on all sides of the plunger but can only ow through the groove 90 and therefore will flow at a rate dependent upon the dimensions of the groove in section, The pressurized product will flow into the bore 98, will expand and be sprayed through external orifice 100. Slight movement of the stem will still permit full low through groove 90, but as the edge of the slot commences intersecting the groove, it will in effect narrow it and a lesser rate may be achieved. Further movement of the stem, to the position where the slot is disposed exactly between the grooves 90 and 92 will not provide any alignment of the slot with a groove, and even if the spray head is pressed downward, no pressurized product will be dispensed.

In like manner, the spray head may be turned to any of the three stages. These may be varied slightly, or the spray head moved to a neutral, non-dispensing position. The second stage is represented in FIG. 7 by the alignment of the slot with groove 92 at 82h, and the third stage is at 82C.

The benets of permitting removal of the stem 42 for cleaning accrue to this structure as in the case of other slotted stem spray valves. The variable spray of this structure is ideally suited for paint and pigmented materials, heavy materials such as starches and waxes, and hair lacquers.

Variations in details are feasible Without departure from the spirit of the invention.

What it is desired to claim is:

1. A variable spray rate aerosol valve structure of the removable spray head type adapted to be secured to the open end of a container, which comprises a cover member having means for enabling same to be secured to said container, a central boss having an opening in the center of the top wall thereof, an annular gasket having a center passageway, a valve housing secured to the inside of the boss to form a chamber below said top wall and clamping the gasket to the top wall with the center passageway aligned with the opening, a passageway in the bottom of the housing to provide communication between the chamber and the exterior thereof, a spring-pressed vertically reciprocable valve plunger in the chamber biased against the underside of the annular gasket and having a circular valve seat sealing the passageway from cornmunication with said chamber, a closed-bottom socket in the valve plunger coaxial with the valve seat, but opening to the oor of an enlarged diameter gallery below the valve seat, a plurality of circumfereutially spaced vertical grooves in the wall of the socket opening to the floor of the gallery each groove being of different cross sectional area, a spray head having a hollow depending stem, rotatably, slidingly, sealingly and removably engaged through the opening and passageway and bottomed in the socket, a iside slot in the stem opening to the bottom end of the stem and extending upward to a point which is below the gallery so that communication may be had between the gallery and the interior of the stem only when the slot is aligned with one of the grooves.

2. A structure as claimed in claim l in which the crosssectional area of the grooves considered on an axial plane is in every case less than the sectional area of the slot.

3. A structure as claimed in claim l in which means are provided to prevent relative rotative movement between the valve plunger and housing.

4. A structure as claimed in claim l in which means are provided to limit rotative movement of the stem relative to the valve plunger.

S. A structure as claimed in claim ll in which the width of the slot is greater than the width of any groove so as to enable each groove to meter fluid when the slot is aligned therewith.

6. A structure as claimed in claim 1 in which the circumferential distance between grooves is greater than the slot width.

7. A structure as claimed in claim 2 in which each groove provides a stage of stem position representing a different spray rate as the stem slot is rotated into alignment therewith, but in which slight rotative movement at any stage provides some variation of spray rate at that stage.

8. A spray valve construction comprising a cover member adapted to be secured to a canister or the like and having a central opening therein, a valve housing secured to the bottom of the cover member, an annular resilient gasket clamped to the bottom of the cover member by the housing, a passageway at the bottom end of the housing whereby to enable pressurized product to enter the housing, a spring-pressed vertically reciproca-ble valve plunger having an annular valve seat on the upper end thereof sealed against the underside of the gasket, a central perforation in the gasket, a central socket in the plunger opening to the top thereof but spaced from the valve seat and having an enlarged gallery surrounding the entrance thereto with the floor of the gallery dening the socket entrance, the central opening, perforation, valve seat, socket and gallery all being coaxial, a spray head having a hollow depending stem provided with a side slot open to the bottom thereof, the stem being sldingly, sealingly, removably, and rotatably engaged through the central opening and perforation and seated in the socket, the slot extending upward to a point below the gallery floor when the stem is bottomed in the socket, a vertical groove in the valve plunger wall on the interior thereof opening to the gallery oor and extending downward in the wall of the socket below the said point whereby when the slot and groove are aligned there will be communication between the gallery and the hollow interior of the stem, but not otherwise, so that downward movement of the stern will unseat the valve seat and permit flow of pressurized product through said spray head if slot and groove are aligned.

9. A structure as claimed in claim 8 in which there are a plurality of such grooves of different metering dimensions spaced circumferentially about the socket wall so that when aligned with different grooves, the slot will enable different spray rates to be achieved.

References Cited bythe Examiner No references cited.

EVERE'IT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A VARIABLE SPRAY RATE AEROSOL VALVE STRUCTURE OF THE REMOVABLY SPRAY HEAD TYPE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE OPEN END OF A CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES A COVER MEMBER HAVING MEANS FOR ENABLING SAME TO BE SECURED TO SAID CONTAINER, A CENTRAL BOSS HAVING AN OPENING IN THE CENTER OF THE TOP WALL THEREOF, AN ANNULAR GASKET HAVING A CENTER PASSAGEWAY, A VALVE HOUSING SECURED TO THE INSIDE OF THE BOSS TO FORM A CHAMBER BELOW SAID TOP WALL AND CLAMPING THE GASKET TO THE TOP WALL WITH THE CENTER PASSAGEWAY ALIGNED WITH THE OPENING, A PASSAGEWAY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CHAMBER AND THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, A SPRING-PRESSED VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE VALVE PLUNGER IN THE CHAMBER BIASED AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ANNULAR GASKET AND HAVING A CIRCULAR VALVE SEAT SEALING THE PASSAGEWAY FROM COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER, A CLOSED-BOTTOM SOCKET IN THE VALVE PLUNGER COAXIAL WITH THE VALVE SEAT, BUT OPENING TO THE FLOOR OF AN ENLARGED DIAMETER GALLERY BELOW THE VALVE SEAT, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED VERTICAL GROOVES IN THE WALL OF THE SOCKET OPENING TO THE FLOOR OF THE GALLERY EACH GROOVE BEING OF DIFFERENT CROSS SECTIONAL AREA, A SPRAY HEAD HAVING A HOLLOW DEPENDING STEM, ROTATABLY, SLIDINGLY, SEALINGLY AND REMOVABLY ENGAGED THROUGH THE OPENING AND PASSAGEWAY AND BOTTOM IN THE SOCKET A SIDE SLOT IN THE STEM OPENING TO THE BOTTOM END OF THE STEM AND EXTENDING UPWARD TO A POINT WHICH IS BELOW THE GALLERY SO THAT COMMUNICATION MAY BE HAD BETWEEN THE GALLERY AND THE INTERIOR OF THE STEM ONLY WHEN THE SLOT IS ALIGNED WITH ONE OF THE GROOVES. 